


Someone To Care For You

by rebelmeg



Series: Rebelmeg's TSB Mark IV Fills [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers Family, Endearments, F/M, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hugs, Minor Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Platonic Cuddling, Team Feels, Team as Family, Tony Stark Gets a Hug, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:40:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26089567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebelmeg/pseuds/rebelmeg
Summary: Tony's having a hard time sleeping while Pepper is away.  Luckily, he's got a team of people that love him and will take care of him in the meantime.
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Tony Stark & Avengers Team
Series: Rebelmeg's TSB Mark IV Fills [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1894204
Comments: 14
Kudos: 81
Collections: Tony Stark Flash Bingo





	Someone To Care For You

**Author's Note:**

> Listen, sometimes I just need all the people in Tony's life to care about him and be soft with him. This is entirely self-indulgent fluff fic. It also happens to cross off my August TSB flash square 019 - Accidentally saving the day
> 
> Title: Someone To Care For You  
> Collaborator: rebelmeg  
> Square Filled: 019 - Accidentally saving the day  
> Ship: Tony & Avengers, minor Pepperony  
> Rating: Gen  
> Major Tags: Tony needs and gets a hug, Avengers family, fluff and hurt/comfort  
> Summary: Tony's having a hard time sleeping while Pepper is away. Luckily, he's got a team of people that love him and will take care of him in the meantime.  
> Word Count: 2213

Bruce knew things were pretty bad when he arrived in the lab he shared with Tony one afternoon, to see Dum-E trying to help U affix a gauze pad to Tony’s arm while he sat at one of his worktables.

“Were you up all night doing flammable science again?” Bruce asked, turning away from the lab coat he was about to put on and instead going to check on his friend.

Tony didn’t reply, and as Bruce got closer, he saw the genius had his eyes fixed on the tablet in his lap, fingers of his free hand flying while he worked. His mouth was moving, and Bruce guessed he was talking to himself. He did that sometimes, usually when he was tired.

“What happened, JARVIS?” Bruce asked quietly, patting U’s strut to nudge her aside. He peeked under the gauze and winced at the ragged gash. 

“I’m afraid Sir has been up for a very long time, his spatial awareness is suffering and he gouged his arm on a bit of exposed metal in the engine he was working on.”

Bruce nodded, not terribly surprised. Tony got all manner of minor injuries with his work in the lab; his hands and arms were covered in small scars, cuts, and burns. But he didn’t usually hurt himself like this, badly enough that he could probably use stitches.

“You guys have been doing a great job. Can I help?” Bruce asked the bots, glad that they both bobbed their claws at him. “Dum-E, can you get me the big first aid kit by my sink? U, can you get me a pair of latex gloves?”

The bots trundled off, and fifteen minutes later there was a neat row of stitches on Tony’s arm. He hadn’t so much as twitched when Bruce had used a local anesthetic to numb the area, even though he’d been jabbed with the needle several times. 

Bruce finished packing up the rest of the supplies and sent U to the biohazard bin with the trash, while Dum-E started clearing away some of the dirty coffee mugs littering the surface of the work table. “Tony, I’m done, time for you to come back to earth. Tony?” Bruce shook his shoulder gently, then a little harder, and finally Tony startled and looked up at him.

Oh dear. No wonder he’d been so cooperative.

The shadows and bags under Tony’s slightly sunken eyes were dark as bruises, and his gaze was glassy. He’d clearly been up for far too long, and was obviously dehydrated.

“Tony, how long have you been up?” Bruce asked, checking his pulse and temperature.

“It’s been almost eighty hours, Dr. Banner.” JARVIS supplied. “I’m afraid his sleep has been plagued by nightmares, and in Miss Potts’ absence he’s solving the problem by not sleeping at all.”

Bruce sighed and took the tablet off Tony’s lap, then wrapped one of his arms up over his shoulders. “Okay. Come on, Tony. Time for bed.”

* * *

“Oh, no,” Natasha’s expression turned to one of sympathy when she saw Bruce coming off the elevator onto the communal floor, nearly dragging a shuffling Tony with him into the kitchen. “What happened?” She was looking at the fresh bandage on his arm.

“He’s okay, I just patched up a gash on his arm, now he’s just dehydrated and really sleep deprived. Pepper’s on that business trip, and he’s been having nightmares. Can’t or won’t sleep, I’m not sure. Maybe both. He’s been awake more than three days now.”

“Poor thing.” Natasha had moved in on Tony’s other side, propping him up as she curled an arm around his waist. His head was up, and his eyes were half-open, but it was clear that he was barely functioning. “Tony? Honey, can you hear me?”

“Heeeey, Nat,” he murmured, his words heavily slurred as he barely moved his mouth. “F’ncy meetin’ you here.”

“Do you know when he last ate?” She asked Bruce, peering around Tony’s chest.

“No, but he’s pretty dehydrated, so probably not for awhile. He definitely needs to drink something before I take him upstairs, and eating would be good too if we can manage it.”

Clint shuffled in, looking a little sleepy himself as he fiddled with his bright purple hearing aids. “Whoa, what’s up?” He hurried over, taking Natasha’s place when she gestured to him.

“He’s been up for three days and needs to eat and drink something before we take him to bed.” Natasha answered, going to the fridge and moving things around until she found the juice that Tony liked. “Bring him over and sit him down. Be gentle with him, he needs it.”

It was a bit of a job to get Tony situated on one of the tall stools at the island counter, his feet kept slipping off the bars and he couldn’t seem to sit up on his own. Steve came in just as Clint and Bruce had propped Tony up for the third time, and immediately made his way over.

“When did he last sleep?” He asked, wrapping an arm around Tony’s chest and standing right behind him, so the barely-there genius could lean back against him. Which he did, probably with no idea that he was leaning back against a human instead of a chair back.

“A few days ago,” Bruce answered, giving Steve’s shoulder a thankful squeeze as he got eggs out of the fridge.

“Coffee?” Tony mumbled as Natasha approached him, cupping his cheek in her hand and guiding a straw to his mouth.

“No, sweetie, not right now. It’s the juice you like.”

“Mmm.” Tony hummed, though it was unclear if it was in acknowledgement of what she said, or appreciation for the juice. Natasha just held the glass steady as he slowly sipped at it, brushing his hair back from his forehead with her other hand. 

“Just stay awake a little more, Tony,” Steve said, rubbing his arm comfortingly. “Let’s get some food into you and then we’ll get you to bed.”

“And we do mean that in the dirty sense of the word, hot stuff.” Clint chimed in as he put some bread into the toaster. It was a sign of how dangerously sleep-deprived Tony was that he only managed a small smile at the joke.

“Ah, good afternoon, friends.” Thor entered the room next, never one to be left behind when everyone else had gravitated towards each other. He smiled around at his teammates until he saw Tony, still leaning against Steve and being coaxed to drink more juice by Natasha. “What ails our Man of Iron?”

“Pepper’s out of town and he’s not been sleeping.” Steve answered over the sound of sizzling as Bruce added eggs to a frying pan on the stove.

“A trying situation indeed. How can I help?”

“Would you mind taking this to the sink?” Natasha asked, holding out the empty glass. Thor happily did so, and she resumed petting through Tony’s hair. He loved that, especially when Pepper played with it, and it seemed to be soothing him. He sighed deeply and leaned more comfortably against Steve's chest.

“Why’re we ‘n the kitchen?” He asked slowly, blinking a few times as if he were trying to get his eyes to focus.

“Bruce is making you some scrambled eggs, and Clint is making you toast. Then we’ll get you up to bed.” Natasha answered, still stroking his hair. He turned his face towards her, sighing again, and Steve adjusted his hold so Tony didn’t slide off his seat.

Thor came back with a clean glass full of water, and maneuvered it so that the straw was at Tony’s mouth. “Drink some of this, friend Tony. You don’t want a headache when you wake.”

“Hangover?” Clint asked, getting butter out of the fridge for the toast that had just popped up. They all knew Tony had been struggling with his alcoholism, trying to get it under control, but some days were worse than others.

“No, from being dehydrated,” Bruce answered, sprinkling some salt and pepper on the nearly finished eggs. “He’s not been drinking, I heard him promise Pepper before she left. You know how he is about promises.”

Thor nodded and squeezed Tony’s shoulder gently, softly urging him to drink more water. “He keeps them.” 

By the time Bruce brought the plate of hot scrambled eggs over, Clint had finished with the toast, and between the two of them they got Tony fed. He wasn’t very steady with the fork, but he managed it, and whenever he waited too long between bites, either Clint would poke another bite of toast into his mouth, or Thor would urge him to take another sip of water. Steve kept him steady the whole time, and Natasha kept running her fingers through his hair.

“Th’nks, guys,” Tony said when he was done, his eyes all but closed, his full weight resting back against Steve. His head had fallen down to Natasha’s shoulder, and he looked like he could fall asleep right there.

“I’ve got the dishes,” Clint said, taking them to the sink. “Get him to bed.”

“I’ve got him,” Thor offered, and with Steve’s help, he lifted Tony carefully into his arms. Tony mumbled a little, shifting restlessly, but Natasha gave his hair one more fond ruffle before going to help Clint, and Bruce rubbed his leg soothingly.

“Almost to bed, Tony. Almost there.”

“Don’ like bed.” Tony mumbled as Thor carried him to the elevator with Bruce and Steve in tow, though his eyes had finally fallen closed. “Can’t sleep wh’n Pepper’s not there.”

“I’ll stay with you,” Bruce reassured him as he pushed the button for Tony and Pepper’s floor. “She’ll be home tomorrow, before you know it, but I’ll stay with you until she gets here.”

Tony sighed, and every word sounded like a struggle. “Sorry. Bein’ diff’cult.”

“No, you aren’t, buddy.” Steve said quietly, untying Tony’s shoelaces so he could pull the heavy workshop boots off. “You’re tired and just need someone to care about you. We can do that.”

The elevator opened, and Bruce and Steve went out ahead of Thor to get the bed ready. Steve tucked the blankets down on Pepper’s side while Bruce got the pillows arranged, and Thor gently got Tony settled. Tony sighed deeply, automatically snuggling in and burying his face in Pepper’s pillow, but after a moment his eyebrows furrowed and he made a sound of distress.

“I’ve gotcha, Tony.” Bruce murmured, and he settled himself on Tony’s side of the bed, sitting up against the headboard with his legs pressed along the length of Tony’s back. His presence seemed to soothe Tony, who shuddered slightly, then finally relaxed. His breathing went deep and even, and Bruce smiled at Thor and Steve.

“Thanks. I couldn’t have gotten him up here very easily by myself.”

“He deserves to be cared for when he needs it.” Thor answered simply, gently squeezing Bruce’s shoulder. “We all do.”

“Happy to help anytime.” Steve affirmed, adjusting the blanket so that it was tucked up under Tony’s chin. “Gotta watch out for each other.”

“Hey, boys.” Natasha’s voice came softly through JARVIS’ intercom system. “He doing okay?”

“Yeah, he’s fine. Fell right to sleep. I’m gonna stay with him.” Bruce answered.

“That’s good. Clint’s feeling peckish, what do you think about an early dinner?”

“I could go for that,” Steve agreed as Thor nodded. Their metabolisms meant that they could always eat.

“We’ll bring you something when it’s ready, Bruce,” Clint’s voice added, making the scientist smile.

“Thanks, I’d appreciate it.”

“Like Steve said,” Thor clapped him on the shoulder, “We must take care of each other.”

The two men left the penthouse quietly, leaving Bruce to pull up a project to work on while Tony slept. Natasha brought him some Chinese awhile later, and some for Tony that she put in the mini fridge. Clint stopped in before he went to bed, and when Steve woke up in the middle of the night, he checked in as well. He found Tony still sound asleep, and Bruce nodding off too, the two of them curled up back to back.

Thor and Natasha took over in the morning, bringing both Bruce and Tony breakfast in bed, but Clint and Steve weren’t about to be left out of the fun. They all crowded onto the bed, sitting cross-legged and eating waffles, each of Tony’s teammates keeping an eye on him as he sleepily ate and sipped at the coffee Clint had brought him.

When Pepper got back that afternoon, Tony was still a little rough around the edges, and would need another night or two of good sleep to catch up. But his team had been taking care of him, making sure he ate lunch, bringing him juice and water and a modest amount of coffee when he insisted on getting more work done in the lab. Steve had even coaxed him to nap on the couch in the workshop, lulling him to sleep as he read aloud and the bots played with their creator’s hair.

“Thank you, guys.” Pepper said fervently, giving them each a hug in turn. “I worry about him when I’m gone. I’m glad he’s got you around to take care of him when he needs it.”

After all, what were friends and teammates for, if not for that?


End file.
